This invention relates to an electrical extension cord, and especially to an extension cord having two divergent cord sections connected to a centrally located electrical plug.
Very often it is necessary to use two extension cords when it is desired to electrically energize separate electrical appliances located at different points in a room. One example would be a situation where two electric lamps are located on end tables at opposite ends of a couch. Another example would be the case where it is desired to operate an electric bread toaster and electric coffee maker at different points on a kitchen counter. A similar situation occurs in the basement workshop where the homeowner desires to operate an electric saw and an electric drill to complete a carpentry project.
The conventional approach is to use two separate extension cords to deliver electrical power to the individual electric appliances. Each extension cord has a multi-pronged male plug adapted for insertion into a wall outlet, and a female plug adapted for connection to an electrical appliance.
My invention relates to a two-way extension cord wherein two cord sections are connected to a single male plug that is adapted for insertion into a wall outlet. The free end of each cord section has a female plug thereon adapted to be connected to an electrical appliance.
One advantage of the present invention is that there may be cost reduction, due to the fact that only one male plug is used. The cost of the other (unused) plug is avoided.
Another advantage of the proposed two-way extension cord is that one of the cord sections can serve as a standby extension cord for future use, e.g. where the need for one of the extension cord sections is either intermittent or unanticipated at the moment. When the need for the second extension cord arises the cord is immediately available. The homeowner does not have to search for an existing extension cord in the home or make a trip to the store to purchase a new extension cord.
Another possible advantage of the proposed extension cord is the fact that the single male plug has only one set of electrical prongs. The single plug can be readily inserted into a single wall outlet whereas it might be difficult or impossible to insert two plugs into a dual wall outlet, due to the plugs being oversize and/or incompatible from a physical clearance standpoint. As a related point, the single plug may be more resistant to inadvertent dislocation from the wall outlet; sometimes with conventional arrangements one plug may bump against the other plug, to cause both plugs to become disconnected from the dual wall outlet.